Bitumen spreader



May 27, 1930. c. G. TALBoTT BITUMEN SPREADER Filed Aug. 28, 1926 Maries 6. 751Mo, INVENTOR l BY g@Maghi77MATTORNl-:xf

Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEu CHARLES G. TALBOTT, OF 1STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARRETT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY BITUMEN SPREADEBf Application filed August 28, 1926. SerialNm 132,068.

This invention relates to bitumen spreaders and relates more particularly to a portable device for spreading pitchorother bitumen in the laying of roofing felt and to the 5 method by which said device may be loperated.

When building large roofs such as those used upon apartment houses, factory bulldings, etc., it has been the practice lto place a 10 plurality of layers of saturated felt uponl the roof structure; coating each layer with pitch or asphalt before the succeeding layer of felt is applied and to then coat the top ply of felt with a thick layer of bitumen such as pitch or asphalt. Heretofore this has been done by hand, the bitumen being heated in tanks upon the ground and hauled to the roof in buckets where it is utilized, the bitumen be- .ing spread upon the roof by the use of squeegees and mops. .Needless to say, this involves considerable labor and numerous difculties are encountered such as the bitumen freezingo before it is completely spread.

I am aware, of course, that bitumen has been heated in tanks heretofore and that provision has been made to move such tanks vacross the surface that is to be coated, for instance such as is practiced in road building work wherein the material 1s sprayed onto the road surface from a tank mounted upon Y a truck. I am also aware that provision has been made to by-pass a portion of the material back into the tank, such by-pass, however, being provided at a point relatively adjacent to the 'tank and not being provided for the purpose contemplated by my invention.

as will be more fully hereinafter described.,`

It is among the objects of my invention,

therefore, to provide a relatively portable tank and a spreading nozzle connected there- My invention includes a portable tank,

to by means of a long' flexible hose whereby l' bitumen may be eliiciently spread upon all parts of a roof which is being constructed. It is a further object of my invention to provide for the continuous circulation of the bitumen from the tank to the spreading nozzle and back to the tank and alsoy to provide means for blowing out7 the nozzle and thelines connect-ing it with the tank.

Further objects and the specific nature of my invention will be more fully understood f from the following vdescription and the appendedk drawing made a part hereof.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters refer to like parts- Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved pitch spreading device.

Fig. 2 is a section thereof taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l, the insulation, wheels andtruck not being shown.

Fig. 3 is a -plan v1ew of the spreading ,noz/4 zle assembly and Fig. 4 is a section of the intake pipe'- assembly, represented by a section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. l. The reference character 1 designatesv generallythe tank which I propose to employ.

Insulation 2 may be provided to increase the Y thermal efficiency of the tank and a manhole 3 may be employed in the top ofthe tank for purposes of inspection, cleaning, etc. A large portion of the weight of the tank is carried by wheels 4 secured in any convenient'manner to the side of the tank near the centerl thereof. A truck or frame work for the tank 'and engine is also pr ovided, the weight thereof being carried by the wheels 4 as well as a small wheel 5. A handle 6 may be provided for manipulating the tank intol position.

Upon the front end of the truck is mount'-,I

ed a small gas engine 7, or other meansof power for pumping and a fuel tank 8 for y supplying fuel thereto. A rotary pump 9 of l any well known construction is connected to the engine. It is by means of this pump that the molten bitumen, for instance pitch, may be circulated thru the system, as will hereinafter be more fully described. v,

In the lower portionof the tank, and occupying approximately three-quarters of the length' thereof, is located a fire box 11 having two compartments 12 and 13 formed by a baille wall 14.. An convenient method of heatingma be emp oyed, altho I have found a small oil burner to be most satisfactory.`

At a convenient location in the front end of the tank is located a hole 16 and upon either side thereof a plate 17 and 18, riveted or other- Wise secured to the tank. Into the plate 17 is threaded a pipe 19 which leads to the pump. lVithin the plate 18 is swiveled a pipe 21 having a lower open ended portion 22 which,

- during normal operation, is positioned neara the bottom of the tank 1 and parallel thereton A chain 23 is fastened at one end to the portion 22 of the pipe 21 andat the other end to the inside of the lmanhole 3 for agpurpose to be hereinafter more fully described.-

As the molten pitch is pumped from the tank 1 thru the pump 9, it passes into the pipe 25 and thence into a long flexible metal hose 26, from which it is conducted into the pipe 27, which communicates with one end of the spreading nozzle 28. The pitch may then pass thru the nozzle 28 and out the other end thereof thru the pipe 29 secured thereto and into another flexible metal hose 30 thru the Apipe 31 and back into the tank 1. The pipe 31 is secured to the tank by a suitable flange 32. The spreading nozzle 28 is provided with a lipped opening 33 which is controlled by a rotary slide valve 34, which, in turn, may be manipulated by the handle 35.

Operation of the device is as follows:

The tank and its accompanying assembly is hoisted to the roof where it is desired apply pitch, the tank 1 being filled with pitch thru the manhole 3. Fire is startedandmainn tained in the fire box 11 to bring the pitchto and maintain it at the proper fluidity. The end 22 of the swivel pipe 21 may, by means of the chain 23, be drawnentirely .out of the pitch and the engine 7 and pump 9 started. The opening 33 of the nozzle 28 being closed, the pipe 22is allowed to drop into the pitch which lmmediatelycommences its circulation thru the spreading nozzle 28. The tank 1 being in the approximate location in which it is desired to work, the spreading nozzle 28 ma then be manipulated as' desired, so that pitc may be spread over -aconsiderable portion of the roof, remoteffrom the tank 1,"without moving said tank. The flexible lines 2 6 -and 30 may be approximately 25 ft.or more in length so that a workman can manipulate the spreading nozzle 28 over the roof asA desired.

" By means of the lever 35 the spreading nozzle 28 is caused to deliver an even sheet of pitch to the feltwhich has previously been applied to the roof structure.

Theiiow of pitch to the nozzle 28 is such that a certain portion/thereof willcontinually circulate to and thru the nozzle and back to the tank, even though the opening 33 be opened to a. maximum. When the opening 33 in the nozzle is closed this recirculation of pitch is, of course, increased because of the fact that all the pitch pumped from thetank must` return thereto. Thus it willl be readily that air will be admitted to the pumping system. The pitch in the lines and in the nozzle 28 will thereby be blown out so that same will be clean when itis desired to resume operation. Y

By the use of my -invention the cost of spreading pitch upon aroof may be very materially decreased, tedious hand spreading methods beingtherebydispensedwith.

In the claims where the term bitumen is referred to it is intended to include pitch, asphalt and all other types of materials which could be heated and spread upon a roof in the manner and for the purpose which I have disclosed. -Obviously, the material to be -handled is immaterial when considering the broad aspects of my invention.

I claimi 1 1. I n combination a tank', means for heating bitumen therein, a pump for withdrawing bitumen from said tank, a mobile spreading nozzle, a flexible line establishing fluid communication between the outlet of said pump and one end of said nozzle, a flexible return line establishing communication between the other end of said nozzle and the tank and ,means for blowing out said lines.

2. In combination a tank, means for heating bitumen therein, a pump for withdrawing bitumen from said tank, a mobile spreading nozzle, a' flexible line establishing fluidcomprisin in combination atan 'fors'contalning bitumen, heating means associated with the tank, a ump, means for operating v the pump, a nozz e for spreading bitumen', a

line connecting said pump and said nozzle, a return line connecting said nozzle and said tank, a pipe connected to said pump and having an open end movable within the tank, and means for regulating the position of the open end of said pipe. Y

In testimony whereof 'I'aix myl signature.`

CHARLES e. TALBo'rT.

3. An apparatus for applyin bitumen' 

